Ventilating systems for sanitary systems

ABSTRACT

THIS INVENTION IS A VENTILATING SYSTEM FOR A SANITARY SYSTEM WHICH INCLUDES VENTILATING MEANS ADJACENT THE TOP OF THE PAN OF THE SANITARY SYSTEM, THE VENTILATING MEANS INCLUDING OPENINGS OR A GAP THROUGH WHICH MALODOROUS GASES ARE DRAWN TO AN EXHAUST OUTLET.

Feb. 23, 1971 3,564,624

VENTILATING SYSTEMS FOR SANITARY SYSTEMS A. c. PALEY Filed Dec. 6. 1968 FIG.6

FIG. 5

United States Patent ()1 US. Cl. 4217 1 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention is a ventilating system for a sanitary system which includes ventilating means adjacent the top of the pan of the sanitary system, the ventilating means including openings or a gap through which malodorous gases are drawn to an exhaust outlet.

This invention relates to improvements in ventilating systems for sanitary systems.

The invention relates particularly to improvements in extraction means which are located adjacent the seat of a sanitary system to facilitate the ventilation of the sanitary pan.

Ventilating system of sanitary systems are already known. However these have the disadvantages that first, in some known ventilating systems the extraction of malodorous gases can only take place after use of the pan. This results in some of the malodorous gases escaping before extraction. Secondly, known ventilating systems are not totally effective to withdraw all malodorous gases from the pan. Thirdly, known ventilating systems usually involve expensive installation.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome these disadvantages.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide ventilating means which can be readily cleansed and disinfected. In this specification the term ventilating means used to refer to means provided adjacent the top of a pan in the sanitary system through which the malodorous gases are extracted.

According to the invention there is provided a ventilating system for a sanitary system comprising in combination exhaust fan means, ventilating means adjacent the top of the pan of the sanitary system, and means connecting the exhaust fan means to the ventilating means; the ventilating means comprising an opening or openings through which any malodorous gases in the pan can be exhausted, an exhaust outlet on the outside of the pan and passage means connecting the opening or openings to the exhaust outlet, in which the ventilating means is adapted by itself or in conjunction with a seat on the pan to substantially seal oil the top opening of the pan when it is in use.

The invention further provides ventilating means which fit adjacent the top of the pan of a sanitary system, the said means comprising in combination means adapted, by itself or in conjunction with a seat on the pan, to substantially seal the top opening of the pan when in use, means for screening the inside of the ventilating means from outside substances, an exhaust outlet, adapted to be connected to exhaust fan means, means for permitting passage of malodorous gases through the ventilating means to an exhaust outlet, the outlet being adapted to be connected to ventilator fan means.

The invention will now be described by reference to the accompanying drawings in which three embodiments of the invention are shown. However the scope of the ice invention is not limited to the embodiments shown and described.

In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 shows an underneath view of one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 shows a part sectional view of a pan with the embodiment of FIG. 1 in position.

FIG. 3 shows a sectional view an exhaust outlet suitable for use with the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 4 shows a part setctional view of a second 25 embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 5 shows a part sectional view of a third embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 6 shows a plan view of a pan to which the embodiment shown in FIG. 5 has been fitted.

In each embodiment the ventilating means are connected to exhaust fan means through an exhaust outlet. The exhaust outlet may be thus connected by means of a rigid or flexible pipe. The manner in which the connecting means maybe associated with the exhaust outlet is described with reference to the embodiments of the ventilating means.

The exhaust fan means may be of any suitable type including electrically driven or wind blown types. The fan is most conveniently located outside the building housing the sanitary system so that the malodorous gases are exhausted to the open air.

Preferably the exhaust fan is left running all the time, but it is particularly desirable that it be operating whilst the sanitary system is in use. Switch devices on the door of a toilet or associated with the pan seat may be used to regulate the periods during which the fan is 0 operating.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 the ventilating means according to this embodiment comprises a substantially circular tube 2 of sutiable material. This tube 2 is arranged to be detachably secured to the underpart of the pan seat 1. For example by means of clips.

As shown in FIG. 1 tube 2 has a number of holes 4 on its underside. Preferably these are positioned so that when the seat is in position the holes are as near to the top of the pan whilst still open to the inside of the pan. With such an arrangement the inside of the tube 2 is screened from contamination of outside substances. It is further desirable for the. purpose of screening the inside of tube 2 that the edge 6 of the seat extends below the level of holes 4.

Tube 2 is provided with an exhaust outlet 3 and through this outlet suitable connecting means, for example, a rigid or flexible pipe, tube 2 is connected to the exhaust fan. The malodorous gases are exhausted through hole 4 in tube 2.

The size of the holes may be arranged to provide for maximum efficiency in exhausting the malodorous gases. As shown in FIG. 1 this can be achieved by making the holes fartherest away from the exhaust outlet of largest area and reducing the area of the holes in closer proximity to the exhaust outlet. The suction through the holes will vary according to the distance from the exhaust outlet and also according to the area of the hole. With the arrangement described suction will be approximately equal through each hole providing for greater efliciency in exhausting gases. Tube 2 being detachably secured to the underpart of the seat 1 it can be readily detached for the purpose of cleaning and disinfecting it.

Tube 2 is positioned under the seat so that when the seat is in position on the pan as shown in FIG. 2 the tube provides a seal between the seat and the pan 5. When the pan is being used the seal is even more effective. The advantage of the seal is that the malodorous gases are sealed until they are exhausted by the ventilating fan.

It is a feature of the present invention that the ventilating system may be used, and is preferably used, whilst the sanitary system is being used. A manual switch adjacent the pan provides a convenient control for the exhaust fan.

The connection from the exhaust outlet to the ventilating fan may be a permanent flexible connection. Alternatively it may be a rigid terminal in the hinge portion the exhaust outlet 3 is aligned with the opening of the terminal. Such a rigid terminal is shown in FIG. 3 in which exhaust outlet 3 is shown as continuing through an opening 9 in rigid terminal 7. This opening 9 is aligned with exhaust outlet 3 in the seat of the pan 1 to which tube 2 is secured. When the seat is raised the two openings are out of alignment but when the seat is in position for use the openings are aligned.

In a variation of this first embodiment the tube 2 may only form part of a circle. This has the advantage that there is less tube to be cleansed and disinfected and less tube to become contaminated. However, the less ventilating tube is of a complete circle the less effective it is for sealing to the top of the pan.

A second embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. 4 of the accompanying drawings. In this figure the ventilating means is shown in position between the seat 1 and the top of the pan 5. The ventilating means comprise in the preferred form a substantially circular tube which fits over the top of the pan 5. It is held in position by the outside portion 10, but it may readily be removed for cleaning. The holes in the tube are positioned adjacent the top of the pan so that the inside portion 11 acts as a screen against contamination. This position is also more elfective for exhausting the malodorous gases from the pan. The inside of the tube 12 provides a passage through which the malodorous gases can be exhausted. When the seat is in position there is a sealing between the seat and the top of the pan by the tube. An exhaust outlet similar to that described in the first embodiment or to be described in the next embodiment may be used.

In the third embodiment shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the section of the ventilating means comprises two substantially U-shaped sections. The first formed by legs 16 and 16 which is shaped to fit over the top of the pan 5. The second U-shaped section is formed by legs 13 and 13. The shape of this section is such the lower part of leg 13 leaves a gap between the top of the pan and the end of the leg 13.

The leg 13 provides first, a screen for the inside of the ventilating means against external substances. There being only a small gap through which anything could pass. In any event as the inside of the ventilating means as described comprises two U-sbaped sections, it is clear that the inside can be readily cleaned and disinfected when the ventilating means are detached from the top of the pan.

The leg 13 secondly provides, with the side of the pan, a gap through which the malodorous gases are exhausted and a passage 14 along which they can be drawn to an exhaust outlet. The ventilating means according to this embodiment of the invention in plan view is preferably substantially the same shape as the top plan section of the pan as shown in FIG. 6. If desired however the ventilating means can be made horse-shoe shaped "so as to fit over the back half of the top of the pan.

An advantage of the ventilating means being made in a horse shoe shape is that if flexible materials are used for the ventilating means, then the ventilating means would be adaptable to slightly differing shapes of pans.

In its simplest form the ventilating means according to this embodiment of the invention is provided with one exhaust outlet. This may be formed by raising portion 17 of the ventilating means which would normally lie flat on the top of the pan to provide a gap through which the malodorous gases can be exhausted. A bulge 18 is also provided in the outside of the first section adjacent the top gap. An exhaust pipe 19 to which an exhaust fan may be connected is secured within the bulge to provide an exhaust outlet.

A ventilator fan means connected to the exhaust outlet draws the melodorous gases from the pan through the side gap 20 along the bulge 14 and then through the top gap 17 to the exhaust outlet 19.

In a further embodiment of the invention the ventilating means is in two separate parts which may each extend up to halfway around the pan. The construction of each part is similar to that described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6 of the accompanying drawings.

In this embodiment there will be two exhaust outlets. One to each separate part. These are preferably arranged adjacent each other so that a T-section connection can be used to couple the two exhaust outlets to a single ventilating pipe connected to the exhaust fan.

If desired the separate ventilating means may be connected to separate exhaust fans. The exhaust fans may be arranged to operate in response to different conditions as desired. For example, one exhaust fan may be left running continuously whilst the other is arranged to operate when the pan is in use.

Although the invention has been described with reference to a number of embodiments the scope of the invention is not intended to be thereby limited.

The claims defining the invention are as follows:

1. Ventilating means adapted to fit adjacent the top of the pan of a sanitary system comprising (a) a pair of members adapted to overlap the top edge of a pan, said members being substantially U-shaped in cross section and adapted to be detachablysecured to the top of the pan for substantially sealing the top opening of the pan when in use,

(b) one of said members including legs adapted to fit downwardly over the top edge of the pan,

(c) the other of said members including legs, one of which is spaced from the inside of the pan, and forming therewith a ventilating gap,

(d) said leg spaced from the inside of the pan extending to a point substantially below the adjacent leg of said other member, and

(e) means forming an exhaust outlet in communication with the ventilating gap for effecting passage of malodorous gases through the ventilating gap and exhaust outlet to the outside.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,172,506 9/1939 Gerger 4-217 CARROLL B. DORITY, JR., Primary Examiner 

